Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Blog

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that a 50-year-old man was killed in a car and truck accident on State Route 99 -- Pacific Highway South -- in Federal Way, Washington on Tuesday night.

The motor vehicle accident happened around 8pm.. The man who was killed was turning onto Pacific Highway South from 374th in a Toyota MR2 when he collided with a pick up truck; the driver of the pick up was not injured.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured and the families of those killed in car accidents, truck accidents, bus accidents, motorcycle accidents and pedestrian accidents. With our help you may be able to recover compensation for your damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group today for a free case evaluation.

I recently reviewed a report entitled Driver Distraction: A Review of the Current State-of-Knowledge published in April by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This report looked at many studies having to do with Driver Distraction. With cell phones becoming so ubiquitous I was interested in how they affect driving performance. In fact a blog we posted yesterday about a bicyclist who suffered a serious spinal cord injury was caused by driver distraction.

The report cited studies that found that approximately 10.5 % of car accidents which were serious enough so that at least one car had to be towed away from the scene was due to a distracted driver. Another study found that distraction was a major factor in 33% of the crashes and 27% of near crashes.

What is Driver Distraction?

Driver distraction is anything that causes a driver to shift their attention away from the driving task, usually to the detriment of driving performance.

Driver distraction can be caused by every day activities including eating, smoking, changing radio stations, setting a GPS device and the usage of cell phones and text messaging.

Studies have broken distractions into several categories.

Inside the car distractions:

• Purposeful -- for example changing a radio station
• Incidental -- answering a phone or eating
• Uncontrolled -- examples are being distracted by a child, pet, sneezing or coughing.

People are often in the habit of performing purposeful secondary tasks and some might even be beneficial to help break boredom and to counteract fatigue.

External distractions:

• Animals running in front of a vehicle
• Weather conditions like a blinding sun
• Oncoming headlights
• Sirens
• Advertising

Several laws have been enacted to prohibit text messaging while driving and to prohibit talking on the cell phone without a hands-free device while driving. Remember, though, it's not just cell phones that can cause you to be distracted.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured, or the families of those killed, in motor vehicle accidents due to the negligence of another person. We have more than 30 years experience in Bellevue, Washington. With our help, you may receive compensation for your damages including pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group today for a free case evaluation.

Read also, What if my accident was caused by someone using a cell phone?

Car and truck accident attorneys spend a lot of time talking to people who've been in accidents. We see how accidents affect lives and how they have cause permanent physical and emotional scars.

Personal injury attorneys tend to look at reports and literature that try to figure out why accidents occur and how cars and trucks can be made safer to reduce the number of accidents. I was looking at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and saw an interesting report about car and truck accidents. While the report is a few years old, I suspect that it is as valid today as it was prepared by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. It's a lengthy report so let me share with you some of the highlights I gleaned from it.

Car & Truck Accident Statistics

In a given year, more than 5,000 people are killed and 140,000 injured in crashes involving trucks that weigh more than 10,000 pounds. In those accidents, 98% of the fatalities involving a car and a large truck were to the occupants of the car.

In reading the report, the most significant thing that I learned is that drivers of cars need to learn how to drive around large trucks. Maneuvers performed by a car near a large truck carry a higher crash risk than the same maneuver around another car. Since actions of car drivers contribute more to Car & Truck accidents, car drivers need to be educated about safe lane changes around trucks, following distances and fields of vision.

There are four driver factors which are more likely in Car & Truck crashes than in Car & Car crashes. These are:

• Driving while sleepy, fatigued or drowsy
  
• Following too closely
  
• Driving while vision is obscured by snow, rain, fog, smoke, sand, dust
  
• Making improper or erratic lane changes.

If you want to learn more, you might want to read the complete report prepared for AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Identifying Unsafe Driver Actions that Lead to Fatal Car-Truck Crashes.

Safety Tips for driving near Trucks

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's web-site also has some tips for motorists when driving around trucks:

• Don't cut in front of a truck because trucks take a longer distance to stop. When passing, make sure you see the front of the truck in your rear view mirror before you move in and don't put on your brakes.
  
• Use your seat belt. Enough said.
  
• Watch for blind spots -- Large trucks have blind spots around the front, back and sides of the truck. They can't see you! Rule of thumb, if you can't see the driver of the truck in the driver's side mirror, then they can't see you.
  
• Pay attention to driving conditions, truck brake lights and signals.
  
• Don't be an aggressive driver - speeding, running red lights and stop signs, making frequent lane changes, and pulling too quickly in front of a truck when passing are all aggressive driving maneuvers and they can cause an accident.
  
• Be aware that trucks make wide right turns. Don't get in-between a truck and the curb.
  
• Don't drink and drive so you can react quickly to situations and use correct judgment.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. Car and truck accident attorneys located in Bellevue, contact us if or a loved one has been seriously injured, or a loved one killed because of a car or truck accident. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group today for a free case consultation.

Two Women from Grandview, Washington were injured in a car accident on Monday when the car they were driving in was hit by a semi-truck and trailer that was making an illegal U-turn on Interstate 82.

According to a press release issued by the Washington State Patrol, Mary Galaviz, 77, and Dolores Smasne, 58 both suffered injuries and were taken to Sunnyside Community Hospital. Smasne, whose injuries were more severe, was then transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Galaviz was treated for her injuries and released from the hospital.

The automobile accident occurred just two miles west of Sunnyside around midnight on Monday night reports the Yakima Herald.com. The driver of the semi truck, Roperto Gomez, 39, of Alliance, Nebraska was using a Department of Transportation crossing to make the illegal U-turn. Gomez was not injured.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents. With our help, you may recover compensation for your injuries including pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group today for a free case evaluation.

A new report from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries entitled Preventing Injuries in the Trucking Industry provides insight and statistics on accidents and injuries in the trucking industry.

According to the report, injuries and fatalities in the trucking industry are more than all other industries combined. The four most common and costly injuries include:

• Upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders
• Falls
• Motor vehicle collisions
• Struck by or against an object

During the period of the report, from 1998-2005, there were 63 trucking fatalities in Washington State, accounting for 10% of work-related fatalities in Washington State. Nearly 80% of the fatalities were in the "general freight" category. Causes of the fatalities included highway accidents, being hit by another truck and tripping on a trailer hitch and falling against concrete.

Trucking is an absolutely vital industry and injuries to truck drivers account for 21,000 lost work time claims in the period of the report and almost 38,000 medical only claims.

SHARP -- Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention -- is looking for ways that accidents and injuries can be prevented. These include:

• Insuring all equipment is in proper working order and new vehicles designed for worker safety.
  
• Insuring that vehicles are designed so that employees can climb in and out safely.
  
• Replacing straps before they break -- making sure loads are secure
  
• Providing ladders and stairs to cabs and trailers
  
• Requiring proper footwear
  
• Training employees on using equipment and proper securing methods for loads
  
• Training drivers in defensive driving

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a trucking or construction accident, you should contact a law firm that has experience in representing trucking accident victims and their families to insure your rights are protected. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience in Western Washington including Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Bellingham, Tukwila and Kent. We also partner with other attorneys throughout the Northwest including Alaska, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation. With our help, you may recover compensation for your injuries, including pain and suffering and lost wages.

The Farber Law Group, located in Bellevue, Washington represents people who have been seriously hurt in motor vehicle accidents including car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, single or multiple truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, boating accidents and bicycle accidents throughout Western Washington and the Pacific Northwest.

People are often seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents and their injuries can include traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury and whiplash, broken limbs, severe lacerations and internal injuries.

In Washington State, there were 568 fatal car accidents in 2007. Mr. Farber is experienced in representing the families who have lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident through the negligence of another person. While no amount money can compensate for the loss of a loved one, a successful wrongful death claim may help a family through a very difficult time, especially when they have lost the major wage earner.

With more than 30 years experience in Western Washington and throughout the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Farber represents cases in Bellevue, Kirkland, Seattle, Renton, Auburn, Spokane, Bothell, Federal Way, Tacoma, Arlington, Marysville, Puyallup, Tacoma and Bellingham. For out-of-state cases, Mr. Farber works with partner attorneys.

Contact The Farber Law Group for a free case evaluation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has just released a statistical summary of traffic safety for the year 2007. According to the report, more than 41,000 Americans were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2007 and more than 2.49 million people were injured.

The good news is that the number of fatal motor vehicle accidents has decreased by 10% in Washington State where there were 568 fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2007 compared with 633 accidents in 2006.

The bad news is that the number of motorcycle accident fatalities continues to rise. Motorcycle accident fatalities across the States account for 13% of the total fatalities and went up 17% over all.

Fatalities caused by a drunk driver decreased by 3.7% with 13,000 deaths attributed to someone driving under the influence.

The report notes that, in the United States, there were 4,654 pedestrians killed in 2007 and 698 bicyclists were killed.

Trucking accident fatalities remained about the same from the previous year.

Traffic injuries and death may be down because Americans are driving less with gas prices being so high. The concern is that, as more people ride bicycles and motorcycles to avoid high gas prices, accidents and fatalities in this group may continue to rise.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent the victims of car, motorcycle, pedestrian and bicycle accidents. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or a loved one has been killed in an accident due to the negligence of another person, you should contact a personal injury attorney to insure your rights are preserved. With our help, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries including pain and suffering.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

The HeraldNet.com reports that six people were injured in a car accident after the SUV they were riding in swerved and rolled over into a ditch to avoid a load of logs that a logging truck had dropped. All six were taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

The accident occurred just east of Marysville on Getchell Road near the 99th Avenue NE intersection said Washington State Trooper, Keith Leary. The log truck appeared to break apart, spilling its load. This is the second logging truck accident in the past week in Snohomish County. In that accident, a truck spilled its logs on Highway 530 but no one was injured.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people that have been seriously injured due to the negligence of others. Our personal injury attorneys work to ensure that you are fairly compensated for your medical costs, loss of wages and pain and suffering.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that a tow truck driver was killed by a flatbed truck when it rolled over him when he was preparing it to be towed in the 4400 block of 26th Avenue West of Magnolia. The King County Medical Examiner's Office identified the driver as Shawn Cary McKinney age 44.

Seattle Police Department spokesman Mark Jamieson says that Lincoln Towing, McKinney's employer, had been contracted to tow the truck because of a car theft investigation. McKinney had called his dispatch asking that a larger truck be sent out to tow the flatbed truck. The second tow truck driver discovered McKinney crushed to death.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

This information was brought to you by the Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who are seriously injured or killed as a result of construction or workplace accidents. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

A logging truck driver from Chehalis, Washington was killed on March 13th in Rockaway Beach, Oregon after the truck -- laden with logs -- that he was driving veered off of Highway 101 near Rockaway Beach in Oregon. The Bend Weekly reported that Dale E. Pickett, the truck driver, was killed at the scene. Oregon State Patrol troopers from nearby Tillamook are investigating the cause of the truck accident. It appears that the logs shifted into the cab of the truck, killing Pickett upon impact. Highway 101 was closed for nearly four hours after the accident.

Large truck accidents killed 62 people in Oregon State and 63 people in Washington State in 2006 according to the United States Department of Transportation. There are many factors that can cause a truck accident. Leading causes include:

• Fatigued or overly-tired operator
• Improper securing of the load
• Mechanical failure
• Illegal maneuver
• Distraction
• Prescription or over-the-counter drug use
• Excessive speed
• Unfamiliarity with the road or bad roads

The majority of truck accidents, however, are caused by someone driving a smaller vehicle. Often the smaller vehicle driver will commit one of the following errors:

• Driving in the truck’s blind spot
• Cutting into a lane in front of a large truck
• Failure to keep a distance between the passenger vehicle and truck

If you or a family member has been severely injured or a family member killed in a trucking accident, you may need to contact a personal injury attorney. The Farber Law Group has over thirty years experience in representing victims of trucking accidents. At The Farber Law Group we investigate the causes of the accident to determine if factors outside the operator’s control were at fault such as improper securing of the load or mechanical failure. Contact us and we will provide a free consultation on your case.

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Posted In: Motor Vehicle Accidents , Trucking Accidents

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